Dave Porter Weblog

Oregon House Bill 2763

As of 2/26/07, House Bill 2763 had been introduced and referred to the Speaker's office for assignment to a committee.

House Bill 2763

Sponsored by Representatives BUCKLEY, RICHARDSON, Senator BATES; Representatives CANNON, CLEM, DALLUM, ESQUIVEL, KOMP, KRUMMEL, LIM, MAURER, ROBLAN

SUMMARY

The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor¢s brief statement of the essential features of the measure as introduced.

Directs Superintendent of Public Instruction to contract for development of kindergarten through grade 12 Chinese language curriculum.
Appropriates moneys from General Fund to Department of Education for contract.
Declares emergency, effective July 1, 2007.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

Relating to Chinese language instruction; appropriating money; and declaring an emergency.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:

SECTION 1. (1) The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall contract with the University of Oregon's Center for Applied Second Language Studies, or any other entity the superintendent determines is qualified, to undertake the development of an articulated kindergarten through grade 12 Chinese language curriculum for public schools. The development of the curriculum shall involve:
(a) Creating a network of Chinese language teachers able to develop second language kindergarten through grade 12 curricula, materials, assessments and best practices needed to provide Chinese language instruction to students, including evaluation of the use of video technology for instruction by Chinese language teachers in foreign nations; and
(b) Coordinating statewide efforts to develop and expand Chinese language instruction so that it is uniformly available to students throughout this state, and making innovative use of media and technology, including television, distance learning and online courses, to broaden students access to the instruction.
(2) The entity with which the superintendent contracts under this section must have sufficient knowledge and expertise to ensure the professional development of appropriate high quality curricula, supplementary materials, aligned assessments and best practices that accommodate different levels of student ability and types of programs.
(3) The superintendent, in conjunction with the entity with which the superintendent contracts, must:
(a) Develop curricula, supplementary materials, aligned assessments and best practices; and
(b) Make curricula, supplementary materials, aligned assessments and best practices equitably available to Oregon schools and students.

SECTION 2. The entity with which the Superintendent of Public Instruction contracts under section 1 of this 2007 Act must work with a network of Chinese language teachers to:
(1) Conduct an inventory of Chinese language curricula, supplementary materials and professional development initiatives currently used in Oregon or other states;
(2) Develop Chinese language curricula and benchmarks aligned to second language standards and assessments; and
(3) Review and recommend to the superintendent how best to build an educational infrastructure to provide more students with Chinese language instruction, including how to develop and provide:
(a) An adequate supply of Chinese language teachers;
(b) An adequate number of high quality school programs;
(c) Appropriate curricula, instructional materials, and aligned assessments that include technology-based delivery systems;
(d) Teacher preparation programs to train Chinese language teachers;
(e) Expedited licensing of Chinese language teachers;
(f) Best practices in existing educational programs that can be used to establish kindergarten through grade 12 Chinese language programs; and
(g) Technical assistance resources.

SECTION 3. There is appropriated to the Department of Education, for the biennium beginning July 1, 2007, out of the General Fund, the amount of $350,000 for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of section 1 of this 2007 Act.

SECTION 4. This 2007 Act being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency is declared to exist, and this 2007 Act takes effect July 1, 2007.

5th Grader Aces HSK Chinese Exam

Community newspaper article in "The Bee" (Portland) titled "Westmoreland fifth grader aces Chinese Govt. fluency test" by Linda Bonder:

    Katie Stern-Stillinger of Westmolreland was one of only eleven children recently to pass a Chinese government proficiency test normally administered to adults. The test (called "HSK" for its Chinese initials) serves as a requirement to enter university in China as an undergraduate student, and is used by employers in China for positions requiring basic competence in Chinese. The HSK test is likened to the Test of English as a Foreign Language in the United States.

    "We are very impressed withy these results," said Zhang Jie, Director of the China Language Office in Beijing. "The kids have done a great job."

    "Katie uses the same textbooks as her peers in China," said Yafei Liu, Lead Chinese teacher and 10-year veteran of the program at The Internatiopnal School in Portland, which Katie has been attending. "I am extremely proud of her, though I am not surprised."

    Stern-Stillinger and her classmates are 10- and 11-year old native English speakers who have been enrolled in The International School's Chinese immersion program since preschool, according to Bruce Bayliss, Head of School. "They study an American curriculum with all of their subjects - math, science, social studies, and so forth - taught in Chinese by native Chinese speakers." As a part of their fifth grade curriculum, the children spent two weeks in China last October, attending a Chinese boarding school and visiting important Chinese sites.

    The Chinese Language Office has only administered the test twice to such young students, both times at The International School, according to Yang Shen, Chief Educational Consul at the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco. Passing the HSK test exempts students from taking certain language courses in China, as well as in many American univesities.

The Times They Are A-Changin'

There is no more appropriate anthem for the forces of globilization and the changes we must make than Bob Dylan singing "The Times They Are A-Changin'." One of the changes we must make is to teach our young Mandarin and send them abroad to study in China. I think of the politicians I write and email each time I hear the verse:

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
For the loser now Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your window
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is Rapidly agin'.
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is Rapidly fading
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'.

Amen

Letter to Chancellor & U of O, OSU & PSU Presidents

President / Chancellor,

Oregon's three premier public universities testified on 2/14/07 before the House Education Subcommittee on Higher Education. The topic was China. The panels from each university made impressive presentations on each university’s activities and linkages to China. Oregon appears to have much faculty involvement in and expertise on China.

Each university, however, also submitted data on the number of students studying Mandarin and studying abroad in China. Details are on my website (see http://daveporter.typepad.com/dave_porter_weblog/2007/02/less_than_2_ore.html ). Given some ambiguities in the data, it appears that each university has less than 2% of its undergraduates taking Mandarin classes. Please correct me if I have the figures significantly wrong. No university had more than 19 students studying abroad in China.

These are not the statistics of a university system preparing a cohort of students to compete in the global economy of the 21^st century.

I believe you would agree with this assessment. I think you would also agree that having less than 1% of  Oregon's high school students graduating with two or more years of Mandarin does not bring a cohort of students to your university prepared to take the next steps needed for global competitiveness.

I am not aware of any pending action plans or budget proposals to improve these situations.

I urge you now to put forth proposals for change that will match the significance of the challenges and opportunities posed by a rising China. We cannot afford to lose another two years, this legislative session. The world, and especially China, will not wait on us. You know this. I do have my own $12 million K-16 proposals. Doing much less, while better than nothing, denies the profound importance to Oregon and the US of a rising China and of acting boldly now.

Please consider this an open letter. I am sending it to the three university presidents, the chancellor, members of the Board of Higher Education and members of the Oregon House and Senate Education committees. I will also post it on my website.

Respectfully – Dave Porter

MI: New Education (R) Evolution

From Tom Watkins paper "New Education (R) Evolution" about e-learning:

    Michigan’s children are entering a  world that is global, agile, disruptive, entrepreneurial-driven and knowledge based. Will they be ready? They will not be unless our schools change. With our collective imaginations and visionary, bold leadership we have the power to raise the bar, setting high expectations for all Michigan students. With technology, learning may be customized to meet the needs of each student. An old saying suggests that you cannot steal second base without taking your foot off first base. Michigan cannot lead in the 21st century without casting off the anchors of attitude, law, public policy and beliefs that bind us to the 20th century industrial education model.

    E-learning allows educators to move from the historic and medieval learning mode of the “sage on stage,” imparter of knowledge to any time, any place learning.

    E-learning is on demand bringing learning to people rather than simply bringing people to learning. In a world where knowledge expands exponentially, it is critical to our state and nation’s success that our systems of public education not just adapt to change but lead that change. A school constrained by time and space is operating inthe past and will be surpassed by global competitors. Learning 24-7 is no longer a dream – but a reality.

We need to ask if our laws, policies, procedures and practices support the knowledge age economy. Do they encourage and reward the digital revolution, boost technological innovation, enhance students’ and worker’s skills and promote agile entrepreneurship and lifelong learning? Or, is our system of education organized and structured to survive or thrive in the 21st century economy.

MI: Engage China and the rest of Asia

Hometownlife.com article "China trips opens eyes, doors to new opportunities"; by Tom Watkins on a visit by 18 Michigan educators and business people to China:

...Ask yourself why, if China has the fastest growing economy and is likely to surpass the U.S. as the largest economy in the world over the next two decades, it's language, culture, history and language are not taught in more of our schools today?...

...Perhaps former state school board member and current Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Michael David Warren Jr. sums it up best when he says: "China is clearly undergoing a fundamental economic and related cultural transformation. They undoubtedly are attempting to become a new superpower. Unlike the other threats we currently face, we can confront this one best by engagement and building bridges. They appear to be anxious to learn from and about Americans, and to become cooperative partners. By such engagement, we can foster in China the way of life we cherish here - freedom, representative democracy, and justice. The opposite approach - building walls - will only exacerbate our differences and degrade our influence."

Certainly, there are naysayers that fear the rise of China. I believe it is important that we engage China and the rest of Asia on a economic, cultural, scientific and educational level in ways that will benefit Michigan and America.

The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the persons doing it.

— Chinese proverb....

Racing Us to the Top

From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman:

One cannot stress enough: Young Chinese, Indians, and Poles are not racing us to the bottom. They are racing us to the top. They do not want to work for us; they don't even want to be us. They want to dominate us - in the sense that they want to be creating the companies of the future, ones that people all over the world will admire and clamor to work for. They are in no way content with where they have come so far....

    In China, where there are 1.3 billion people and the universities are just starting to crack the top ranks, the competition for top spots is ferocious. The math/science salmon that swims upstream in China and gets itself admitted to a top Chinese university or hired by a foreign company is one smart fish. The folks at Microsoft have a saying about their research center in Beijing, which, for scientists and engineers, is one of the most sought-after places to work in all of China. "Remember, in China when you are one in a millions - there are thirteen hundred other people just like you."

Naisbitt: China: A Nation of Opportunity Seekers

John Naisbitt's new book "Mind Set!" has a chapter on China titled "China: the Periphery Is the Center."
It begins:

Many people worry that China may break up. Well, China is breaking up, walking the twin path of globalization and decentralizing more than any other country in the world, a process essential to China's sustainability, giving more efficiency and power to its parts - cities, provinces, and regions. The periphery is the center.

The chapter ends:

Mindset #9  "You don't get results by solving problems, but by exploiting opportunities." China has become a nation of opportunity seekers, trusting that any problem can be solved along the way. The competitive advantage of today's China, as a nation and as a people, is the willingness to adapt to what is necessary and beneficial. No other country is so massively adapting to change as China; few peoples are so entrepreneurial and aggressively ambitious.

Together with Migrants

Another episode on life in China today from the internet TV station Danwei, part of their Hard Hat series. It is 7 minutes 12 seconds long. This episode of the Hard Hat Show is about migrant workers in Beijing. It includes interviews and footage of an event at Beijing's Jianwai Soho real esate development where an NGO called Hua Dan, together with UNESCO and the property developers, organized 'Together with Migrants'.

This day long event was intended to both teach and entertain migrant workers and inform the general public about their plight. In this episode of the Hard Hat Show, we speak to migrant workers as well as artists and organizers from the event, and find out what some of the workers think of the Jianwai Soho development and Pan Shiyi, the media figure and tycoon behind it.

This episode was shot by Anna Sophie Loewenberg, Hao Chong and Luke Mines, edited and with interviews by Anna Sophie Loewenberg, presented by Jeremy Goldkorn, with music by Fernando Fidanza. Pan Shiyi was not harmed in the making of this episode.

Embrace China as a Partner or Face It as an Enemy

From Will Hutton's "The Writing on the Wall: Why We Must Embrace China as a Partner or Face It as an Enemy:"

    ...That is why the simple extrapolations of China's continued growth at current levels for the next forty or fifty years are misleading - and why it is wrong for so many western politicians, business leaders, and opinion leaders to present China as an ominous threat before which the west must change or wilt. This idea is normally a code for the proposition that ordinary Americans and Europeans should accept stagnating living standards and diminished welfare states and fend for themselves in acquiring the education and skills - more and more at their own expense - necessary to compete with China's advancing hordes. Those in the higher echelones of society, meanwhile, can continue to enjoy the trappings of growing inequality.

    China is not such a threat. Rather, it is a sophisticated civilization beset by profound and deepening problems that is making a difficult transition from peasant poverty to modernity. It requires our understanding and engagement - not our enmity and suspicion, which might be self-defeating, creating the very crisis we fear. China's vulnerability is not widely understood. Europe and the United States should stay open to China both in trade and in the realm of ideas...

    The relationship between the United States and China and that between China and the rest of Asia are delicately poised. Yet there are many problems - most tellingly the environment and global warming, which now threaten ecosystems to the degree that we are fast approaching a tipping point where humanity as a species may be in potential danger - that require an international response and appreciation of our shared fate. Both China and the United States must be part of the solution to these problems. My ambition for this book is that it will help tilt the balance toward more internationmal collaboration, a reappraissal of the so-called Chinese threat, and a recognition of the situation as an opportunity and above all a reaffirmation of  Enlightenment values and the importance of economics and pluralism at home...

The blog "Economist's View" by University of Oregon Associate Professor Mark Thoma has a post  "China's Economic and Political Future" with a long quote from the NY Times Book Review of this book by Jagdish Bhagwati. The post also has lots of comments.l